For the Ride of Your Life:

"It may well be that there is no human urge more fundamental than that of making a mark"-

In the words of Chuck Close: "You Just Have to Show Up

"I would like to make something that is real in itself," [Arthur Dove] once wrote, "that does not remind anyone of any other thing, and that does not have to be explained like the letter A, for instance."

“Art is never an end in itself; it is only an instrument for tracing the lines oflives.”

—Gilles Deleuze and Felix Guattari (qtd. in West)

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Tuesday, February 23, 2010

Georgie Friedman- "Practice to Failure"

Headed up to Boston to meet with my new mentor, Video Installation artist/photographer, teacher and all around amazing woman, Georgie Friedman.This image is of one her recent installations 'Dark Swell', which I believe is at the DeCordova at this writing.

Carrying sketchbooks, photos, a mini computer and one large drawing I managed to navigate easily to our meeting place, The Boston Public Library. After perusing my work, picking my brain and making suggestions, the outcome is as follows:

I need to focus (did we all get that one???)BUT...while I am focusing,I also get to play. I had been experimenting with some hand drawn/digital combinations mainly to work out issues. Georgie suggested that I scrap those and instead of trying to move forward so fast, take a step back and really investigate fully my own loves. She basically reaffirmed for me what I had dove into after returning from AIB.

Since coming away from our residency and all of the "culture" shock, all I have really wanted to do is draw..and draw large. The first post you saw of the vulture, was created out of the shear love of drawing. This is what 'practice to failure' is all about. If you are not doing it... you can't fail, but you cannot also succeed. This is still my ongoing project, but now with some new twists. (more later)

My readings and writings have inspired me in ways I have not thought imaginable.I am concentrating on my art as process and mark making (a correlation between my beliefs in the artist's visible hand, and the fact that as human beings, we make our mark in life and in death. (yes I have "not gotten over it" :-)

I have begun to document my process, looking for a video camera but for now taking stills every time I stop working. In order to manage my "lack of focus" I set my self up for success by rearranging my studio to fit my needs at this time. Rather than work on one piece of art, I have set up at least four different drawing concepts, basically all related, but I am just going with the flow. A trip to Providence for some large rolls of paper really released my spirit, and I am having fun.

The only problem now is that I do not want to clean my house, go to work, write my papers, I simply want to draw. PEACE

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"The heights by great men reached and kept were not attained through sudden flight, but they, while their companions slept were toiling upward through the night." HWL (hence, the life of a grad student)